If you like to read fiction, you probably have a favorite genre to stick with. For me, it’s mostly Sci-Fi and Fantasy. (Is Dystopia its own genre?) Last week, I finished reading a book outside my norm: a Cozy Mystery. It was good! In fact, I’ve already started reading book two in the series.
Involuntary Turnover
Before reading Involuntary Turnover by Cheri Baker, I’d never even heard of a Cozy Mystery. I’d heard of mysteries of course, just not the cozy variety. Basically, it focuses on the “Who dunnit?” Something bad happens and the main character must figure out who the cause was. I think another word for it is Sleuthing.
The story revolves around a protagonist named, Kat Voyzey. She is an HR Manager at a local hospital, but she’s really into solving stuff. I think being a people person helps. What’s cool about Kat is that she’s a down-to-earth person and very believable. Reading the book, you can feel what she’s feeling and know what she’s thinking as she interacts with the supporting cast.
I’m no expert book reviewer, but the main character is like-able and the whole story is easy to read because it’s written well. The characters are not shallow but evenly developed, and the book’s pace is steady. It’s not overly detailed, but there are enough little things described throughout that make the setting and the people become more real.
The plot is not convoluted; the book is not super-long. It’s the ideal escapism you want in a book if you’re a busy person like me. I often read a chapter or two on my lunch break, always ending at a good stopping point. And if I took a week or two off from reading, it was easy as breathing to pick up where I left off and get drawn into Kat’s next turn.
Voluntary Reading
I kind of stumbled upon this book after discovering a fellow blogger, Cheri Baker. She wrote a resonating article on her blog early in the Summer called, Can We Make The Internet Fun Again? I think I ran into the link on Twitter somehow. The point here supports the question in her blog title – yes! The web is open and can be serendipitous like in the beginning. Just delete Facebook.
I’m a few chapters into the second story, Orientation to Murder. I must say, the first chapter made me laugh with several puns! And the writing so far feels stronger, or maybe smoother is the better description. It takes hard work to write well, and I think Cheri shows nice progress in the setting and character of Kat Voyzey.
One more way I can praise the stories and the author is to say I’m looking forward to Baker’s future Cozy Mysteries. It’s nice to find a new writer to add to your reading list; a whole new genre on top of that – bonus!